Finale, Finito, Finished.

Made it. The third draft of Gentlemen from Hell is complete, and aside from an outsourced proofread and the completion of additional materials, it's ready to hand in tomorrow and be forgotten about for a few months while other people decide how good or bad it is.

I did encounter some additional problems on the way to completion. Didn't really anticipate that I'd have to re-write as much of the script as I have had to, although it will hopefully be worth it in the end. In any case, it's been a long journey to the finishing line, and I'm glad to be there.

Okay, on with the accompanying materials. Seeing as this blog was purely to follow the brief development of my screenplay up to hand-in date, this will be the last blog entry and after July it will be deleted (but not before being recorded on paper for future reference). So, that's that. 3rd year is a few hundred words, a photoshop session and a printing session away from being over, and all that remains after that is to hand in and then see which way life is going to go next. So, signing off.

Another Quick Addition

Right, about 70% of the way through my final draft. Here's how things stand right now:

Still to do: Hardening the lead antagonist. She is still a little weak, but it's improving. Giving her a little more of a sinister outlook, it'll make the cross from hidden to actual antagonist more smooth. I'm also seriously cutting down on the upper case letters for stage direction. It looks messy with so much of it. Other than that I only have half of a factory battle scene to write and a couple of small exposition scenes to slot in somewhere, then Gentlemen from Hell is finished and ready to be proofread and then handed in tomorrow. Looking good.

Quick Addition

Just a couple of additional notes to tack onto yesterdays post. I've decided to make the male lead more timid and weak at the start, it'll make his transition into hardened hero more natural and realistic. I've also spotted that there is a point in the script where the men need to obtain German weaponry, yet they leave England with English weaponry. So that needs a bit of revision. That's all for now.

First and Second

So, the first draft is finally done, and if it can be technically called a draft, so is the second one. I've a great many notes to take into a library later today. Must admit this is the part of the screenwriting process I enjoy the most - ripping apart what doesn't work and putting in what does. Likening this whole process to sculpture is probably the best analogy I'd use.

Right now, the main problem facing the next and most likely final draft is turning out to be the motivation of the actual antagonist. I have a fairly poor grasp of how to write female characters, so it hasn't really come as a surprise to me. The problem is now time, or rather the lack of it, that remains before hand-in. There are a few other minor issues, such as an unnecessary battle scene, a supporting character that doesn't really have a set language, and  a few set pieces that need straightening out.

On a more positive note, the black humour seems to be coming across okay. I even had one or two of the readers seem like they felt a little sympathy for the main characters as they were knocked off. For the most part it's looking solid.

Right, back to the books. I'll check back in when I've done more on the third draft.